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Quake damaged trails in disrepair

May 4, 2016-The Gorkha Earthquake survivors living in remote areas are facing difficulty as the foot trails ravaged by the quake and the ensuing landslides have not been repaired yet.

In Dolakha, one of the worst affected districts, many villages have been cut off from other settlements. A small village of Lapchi peopled by 80 families is one of them. Located close to Nepal-Tibet border, Lapchi has become virtually inaccessible since last April’s quake. The only way to reach the village is to walk through precarious hillside clutching on grass clumps and exposed roots, sometimes using makeshift ladders. Villager Karma Sherpa said they were surviving only because they can travel to Phalek Bazaar in Tibet to buy food and other essentials.

“We have to risk our lives to get to the district headquarters. The trail has been thoroughly damaged,” Sherpa said.

Motorable roads are still non-existent in many parts of Dolakha. Narrow trails snaking up, down, and across mountains are the lifeline for the people there. Earthquake and landslides have ravaged many such trails in places like Kabre Bhir, Gongar and Lamabagar.

Many earthquake-hit villages in the mountainous belts of Sindhupalchok district are also facing difficulty getting from one place to another.

Several trails damaged or obstructed in the wake of the earthquake in Nuwakot district are also in want of repair. A trail linking two wards of Kingtang village remains obstructed because of last year’s landslides.

Sunita Tamang, a 10th grader student of the village, said she and her friends have been compelled to traverse through a dangerous route to get to school every day.

“There are around 30 students who use the route to reach the school. It is scary if you think of the path we take,” she said.

The path that links Kingtang to Trishuli Bazaar, the main market place of the region, is also heavily damaged along with the ones in Harku, Tiru, Dadagaun and Gogane villages.

The Manaslu trekking route in Gorkha district has also been damaged after the earthquake, affecting the villages located along the route, including Aarughat, Bhaccek, Khanchok, Ghyampesaal and Sulikot.

Pradip Gurung of Macchikhola said they have been taking a detour route that runs along the banks of Budhi Gandaki River to reach the nearest market.

“The route, however, is impassable during the monsoon,” he said.

Earthquake-induced landslides have also affected many places in Ramechhap district, including Duragaun, Thapadanda, Churidanda, Punni Gaihragaun, Satagaun and Chandisthan.

n A man climbs a makeshift ladder to get across a damaged trail in Lamabagar, Dolakha. POST FILE PHOTO

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